Pizza Crust (Christina Moss)

A Story
This is our go-to pizza crust recipe. If we're just cooking for the two of us, we halve it and make 3 10-inch pizzas. If we're entertaining a crowd we bake all 6 and get creative with the toppings. Some of our favorite combinations are:

• a base of mozzarella, maybe with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, topped with thinly sliced peaches and grated parmesan. Then, when it comes out of the oven, top with basil and balsamic reduction. You can also add prosciutto before baking if you like.
• butter chicken pizza: butter chicken sauce, shredded or diced chicken, diced red onion and red pepper, cheese, and cilantro if you feel so inclined.
• a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper (and maybe a drizzle of maple syrup, topped with thinly sliced roasted potatoes, diced bacon, and caramelized onions, and cheese (mozzarella is what I usually use but I bet Gouda or another Dutch cheese would be good too).
• a base of ricotta seasoned with salt and pepper, topped with thyme-roasted grapes, mozzarella, and parmesan

Recipe
1 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast.
1 3/4 cups tepid water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1.2 teaspoons salt
~4 1/2 cups flour

Soften the yeast in water, then add olive oil, salt, and two cups of flour. Stir in the rest of the flour until the dough is sufficiently stiff, and knead until it’s elastic. Put in a bowl greased with some olive oil, cover it with a towel, and let it rise until it’s doubled. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Line a pizza stone or pizza pans with cornmeal, stretch out 1/6 of the dough into a 10-inch circle, cover with your favorite toppings, and bake for 8 minutes. Let it cool on the pan or on a cookie rack, and you’re good to go.